Bobbin-changing device



A. G. SCHAEF ER BOBBIN CHANGING DEVICE F iled Sept. 6, 1921 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

AUGUST G. SCHAEFER, F LACHEN, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOB- TO THE FIRM COHEN & SGHAEFER, WEBEBEI APPARATE-FABRIK LACHEN, OF LACHEN, SWITZERLAND.

- BOBBIN-GHANGING DEVICE.

, Application filed September 6, 1921. Serial No. 498,697.

To" all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, AUGUs'r G. SCHAEFER,

a citizen of the Republic of Germany, re-

siding at Lachen, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bobbin-Changing Devices, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. l This invention relates to a device for automatically replenishing the weft bobbins of power looms. On the weft thread being exhausted, the empty bobbin is automatically. removed from the shuttle without first stopping the. loom, and at the same time a new full bobbin is introduced.

The bobbin changing devices of this kind hitherto used, are utilizedalmost throughout only on new looms, which are built as special looms, whilst such devices as additional devices or attachments for old looms, have found only a very limited application in the industry on account of their cumbersome construction and of their imperfect action. The present invention can be fitted to new as. well as to old looms without sub,- stantially modifying their construction.

The device according to the invention for automatic exchange of weft bobbins in power looms in which a lever device conveys a bobbin from a vmagazine into a shuttle, an empty bobbin contained in the shuttle being simultaneously pushed out, is characterized by the bobbin magazine being rotatable about a fixed point of the loom and by a part of the lever device, formed into a hammer, being mounted rotatably relatively to the other part, and by the bobbin entering theshuttle before the batten has reached its front dead centre position, the bobbin magazine and the hammer being turned during the remainder of the move ment of the batten to the said dead centre position.

A construction according to the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows the device seen from the side in the position of rest;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device during the exchange,

Fig. 3 shows the device when the batten is in the front dead centre position and with the bobbins exchanged, and

Fig. i is a partial plan in section on line IVIV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 illustrates in elevation part of a loom fitted with the device according to the invention.

The change device illustrated comprises a magazine 0 loosely mounted on pivot pins 6 on the frame a; the said magazine is controlled by a tension spring d which tends to turn it in the anti-clockwise direction. The position of the magazine 0 is limited by a stop 0 which strikes against a counterstop 0 on the frame a. To the magazine 0, near the weft bobbin 0 is rigidly secured one end of a spring blade 6 so that it can be forced from its position of rest against the said bobbin, away from the same, and each time tends to return to said position. The said blade forms at the same time a closing lip'for the magazine a and keeps the lowest bobbin 0 in its correct position in the magazine. The hammer 7 connected to the long arm of the lever g is rotatable about a pin 9 and so arranged that it can be turned from its position of rest only towards the side facing the magazine 0, and in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which it is turned away from the magazine, it is held by a tension spring h which pulls a projection on the hammer against stop tappets i on the lever g. The lever g is held in its position of rest (Fig. 1) by the action of a spring t, the position of rest being determined by a boss at (Fig. 4) at the end of the long arm of the lever g which engages with, a recess cc of the magazine.

To the short arm of the lever g is pivoted a plate 1% which rests on a cam lever Z which is secured to a cross bar is which can be turned by a weft fork or a weft feeler. The lay or batten g is provided with a finger or projection n which when the plate at is raised, comes into engagement with the same.

The batten q is reciprocated in a'known manner for instance by means of a crank o imparting a swinging motion to a .the latter upwards and the plate at on lever '10" to which the batten Q is secured (Fig. 5).

The Working of the device described is as follows:

The exchangeqof a weft bobbin takes place, as is Wellknown, as soon as the shuttle p is on the opposite side to the Weftfork, or to the weft feeler, on which side isal'so arranged'themagazine c. The cross bar it which on the one side is connected to the weft fork or to a weftyfeeler, and- .on the other side to the cam lever Z, raises the same is brought within reach of the finger orprojection'n. Owing to the ad 'vance' of the batten, the'finger or projection at will act o-irthe plate m, owing to which the'lever g will be turned" about the by the moving hammer f between the bottom end of the back wall of the magazine a, forming the closing lip 0 and the blade I: forming the second closing lip, only'the I blade or tongue 6 yielding however and its lower portion forced away from the maga zine (Fig. 2), as the magazine 0 owing to the-more powerful tension spring cZ, remains in the position of rest. The hammer f does not follow the new bobbin 0' to its final position inthe shuttle p; as soon as it has moved down-alittle beyond the position shown in Fig; 2, and before it has reached the lowest position'dn'Fig. 8, the bobbin automatically springs into the clamping spring provided in the shuttle p. The exchanging ofbobbins is therefore finished before the batten has arrived in its dead centre position. The batten g continuing to advance, the stop 8 thereon strikes against the blade 6 which is pressed against the hammer f whereby the magazine 0 as well as thehammer, which continuesto swing towards'the magazine, are turned in the clockwise direction (see Fig. 3) and lifted off the respective stops 0, 0 and i. I

The fact that the exchange of the bobbin is finished beforethe batten has arrived at its deadice'ntre position is of considerable advantage as it ensures a safer exchange of the bobbin than is the case when the exchange has to take place during the short moment in which the batten remainsin its dead centre position. Further, the feature that the magazine and the hammer are adapted to carry out turning movements against a yielding resistance, prevents. destruction of the bobbin changing device should a foreignbody lodge itself between the shuttle and the bobbin to be exchanged, or if the-latter is not in the. proper position for the' exchange.

I claim: 1. A weft replenishing mechanism for looms, comprising in-combination, a bobbin magazine adaptedzto iswing about a fixed point of the loom, a lever mechanism adapt: ed to rotate aboutanother' fixedp'oint of the loom, a transferrer' rotatably mouhteol on said lever mechanism toforce a bobbin into the-active shuttle by therotating movement of said lever mechanism,means'operatively connected to the loom batten 'an'd co-operao ing with said lever mechanism" to cause said rotating movement of said lever mechanlsm when the batten movesytoward lts dead centre position, and meansladapted to displace the bobbin magazine andrthe trans ferrer relatively to said lever meohanism by' causing the bobbin magazine and'ithe trans ferrer to swing when the f exchange. ofa bobbin is finished-and: duringythe further movement ofthe loom batten into its dead; centre position. 7 V

2.; In a power m, inrcombination; a bobbin magazine adapted to turn about a fixed point of the loom in one direction from 100 its position of rest, a spring operatively connected to said magazine for counteracting said turning -movement, a lever device adapted to rotate about a'fixed point of the loom, a hammerforming part ofsaid device and adapted 'to be rotated inonedirection of saidd'evice and: to force a bobbin from said magazine-into a shuttle upon a turning motion of 'saidlever device, "a springzoperatively connected to said hammer for countel-acting said relative 'rot-atingmotion, batten, a stop on said batten'adaptedtto cooperate with said lever means for automat ically causing said turning motion .ofsaid lever device, a further stop .onisaid batten adapted to cause a turning motion of .the magazine and the hammer relatively to said lever against the action of said springs ,during the movement of the batten into itsdead centre position after thefexchange' of the bobbin" has beeneffectedh 3. In a power loom in combination, a bobbin magazine adapted to oscillate; about a fixed point of the loom, one endzwall of said magazine forming a closing lip for said 1 magazine, another-lip constituted by a plate spring fixed: to said magazinefa lever. device ada ted tohrotateaboutza. fixed point of the loom, a hammerforming.Tpart. of

and rotatably; mounted irelativelvto said device and adapted to force. a bobbin from said magazine into a shuttle spring to cause a turning motion of the upon a turning motion of said lever magazine and the hammer relatively to said device, a batten, means provided on said lever device during the movement of the 10 batten and adapted to cooperate with said batten into its dead centre position after the 5 lever means for automatically causing said exchange of the bobbin has been effected.

turning motion, further means on said bat- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. ten adapted to cooperate with said plate AUGUST G SCI-IAEFER. 

